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stac17
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2015 10:11pm
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Me and my husband are thinking about building a little cabin on some property we have. Right now it is just the two of us, but we may be expanding our family.
How do we go about deciding what size cabin would be comfortable for a small family?
We are not looking for anything fancy, just a basic one room cabin. We are looking to have a small kitchen area, a place for bed (maybe 1 bed and a bunk bed), and space for a couple couches, a wood stove and a table.
Is there a design that worked well for somebody? Or a method for making our own design that worked well?
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2015 10:27pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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We are all different people. No one size is good for all. We have a 16x30. There are some here who consider that large. And others who consider it small.
We started out thinking we wanted smaller. Drew it on graph paper, quarter inch = 6 inches. Made little cut outs to scale size of the furniture, etc. Moved those around on the paper to see how different shapes and sizes looked. The plan grew.
When we had something we liked I drew the outline in chalk on the driveway. Walking on it the plan grew a little again. Then I drew construction plans, ordered materials and built it.
We've never wished it was much smaller or much larger. Our use is part time recreational. If it was full time we would want more storage space. But there are folks living in smaller space and doing it full time. Ooops, I'm back to the beginning... we are all different with different wants, needs, budgets, etc.
Some folks want/need a bedroom with walls and a door. We used furniture to separate the bed area from the balance of the space. That works for the 2 of us, might not work for others... Some folks must have a loft area, others like us think lofts are virtually unusable, a waste of effort... Some like to use kerosene lamps, we like electricity... ...see there is a general theme going on here. You know yourselves better than any of us...
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Shadyacres
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2015 10:29pm
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If it was me I would design a small cabin with the capability to expand when and if the need arises. Have fun in your build. As far as designs , I would search the internet for designs and change them as you wish.
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Salty Craig
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2015 10:37pm
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Mine is about same size as Dons. 16x28. I do have a 16x16 loft. Me, wife and 4 kids stay very comfortable. To us, it's perfect size.
Craig
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stac17
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2015 10:42pm
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Quoting: MtnDon We started out thinking we wanted smaller. Drew it on graph paper, quarter inch = 6 inches. Made little cut outs to scale size of the furniture, etc. Moved those around on the paper to see how different shapes and sizes looked. The plan grew.
This is a great idea and very helpful. I think that is what we will end up doing. Thank you so much!
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:12pm - Edited by: Wilbour
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I looked for multipurpose furniture and moveable or folding tables. Our couch is also a bed, our dining table folds down against the wall and our kitchen is on wheels.
All this is to make best use of our small space.
I may even put up a folding ladder to the loft, some time down the road.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2015 02:35pm
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Quoting: MtnDon We started out thinking we wanted smaller. Drew it on graph paper, quarter inch = 6 inches. Made little cut outs to scale size of the furniture, etc. Moved those around on the paper to see how different shapes and sizes looked. The plan grew.
Exactly how we did it, worked it out to be enough but efficient for us, with the right mix of furniture. MtnDon is exactly right, no one knows you better than you. I grew up in our family 12x18 cottage and never found it an issue with 4 of us and a dog. Now we have a little more room, just because we could, but really we just put in more stuff that we really don't need.
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TheCabinCalls
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2015 03:38pm
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MtnDon's advice is sound. We did the same with cutting things out to scale. We even made a scaled version out of cardboard to see if the pitch and sizing looked right.
We also made use of ideas and furniture function like that of an RV or sailboat to keep the size down.
I recommend watching how the wind, sun and so forth enter and exit your land through out the year. Make sure your cabin takes advantage of these things. Maybe you want passive solar and therefore go with a longer narrow design...as an example.
You could also stay in an RV with your family to make sure that size and type of living works.
Sounds like you are going about it correctly - slowly and asking questions.
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rockies
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2015 07:54pm
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I did a small cabin design based on an article in "Mother Earth News" called "Build this Cozy Cabin for $4000". The thread for the design is on this site by the same name.
I found that the biggest space hogs in a small cabin are the furniture, so I created a nook off the west side of the living room and put a built-in sofa in it. That freed up a ton of floor space, plus you get storage under the seat.
There's a loft for the bedroom, but you could put a Murphy bed on the north living room wall instead. Full sized kitchen and bathroom, full sized appliances, lots of counter space, and a small dining area on the south wall of the living room.
The nice thing is that you can add on as you grow: a screen porch on the south side, a pantry/laundry on the east side. Just pull out a window and replace it with a door. Even if you have to build in stages, the important thing is to design the entire cabin first so that you at least know where the additions will go and you can build the framing accordingly.
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toofewweekends
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# Posted: 28 Jul 2015 02:33am
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Lots of good advice above. Ours is 16x20 with a fairly full loft, mostly for weekends and an occasional longer stay. We sleep upstairs and have a sofa bed on the main floor that is uncomfortable for sitting and sleeping. Guests don't stay long! If I was starting from scratch, I'd put pony walls on the second floor to get more useable space under the 12-12 roof.
Ours is in Alaska, so a small place is a lot easier to get warm and keep warm in winter with a wood stove. An unheated shed is handy to hold some things that don't need to be warm or locked up (extra gas, some tools, nails, paddles & pfds for the rowboat, etc.)
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 28 Jul 2015 08:11am
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A Thought to ponder upon... It's less expensive to build up rather than out for gaining space and expansion capabilities. Building a cabin with cathedral ceilings and a loft or two for kids / storage etc costs less and can make it feel bigger as well.
Have a look at the common Cabin Plan sites for their plans & measurements and then rough it out on the ground as MtnDn suggested as well as working it on paper.
There are floor design / space design software(s) available for free for Windows Computer systems and likely for Mac / Linux as well. These can be helpful as well.
When considering your future build, think about future use, expansion and conveniences / options that could be incorporated during the initial build... Designing with "provisions" for the future can make things much simpler later on which results in saving some bux !.
For Example: Installing a large 5' or 6' patio door today on a wall, can later be the entry to an addition. If a Big Door is not in the budget "today" you can still frame for it and "insert" a regular window in that space with a sub-structure that could be knocked out for the big door / window.
Seasonal or Year Round ? Also consider when building, that maybe today your looking at seasonal use only but after a kid or two & a dog you may be looking at use any time of year (to regain adult sanity, peace & serenity) so you want to be able to insulate it and use it anytime.
Of Course, better planning and future thinking also makes it more attractive to others should a time arise that you want to sell up.
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bugs
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# Posted: 28 Jul 2015 06:58pm
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First thing to do is check the zoning of the county/municipality your property is in. Often there is a minimum size allowed. We have a 77sq ft inside dimension shack (12x8 outside dim). The municipality changed their bylaw just after we got set up so now 535 sq feet is the smallest allowable....
We found 77 sq ft fairly small for two of us even with a cook shelter so we added about a 30 sq ft porch for (cooking and to hold the coolers etc). Greatly improved things. The shack holds a small table, two chairs, two cots and a cupboard which houses misc plus the batteries for our solar. The use of vertical space in such a small area is extremely important.
Good luck with your endeavor.
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moregon
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# Posted: 29 Jul 2015 02:19pm
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I'm going with 12x16' with 8x12' loft and 4' porch. Enough for one small person.
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vtbros
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# Posted: 30 Jul 2015 09:26pm
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12 by 16 here also but we put up 12 foot walls so upstairs has 4 foot walls. Mainly sleeping upstairs. Downstairs is overflow and guest sleeping. Almost all cooking outside. I agree with planning for expansion in initial build.
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bukhntr
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# Posted: 1 Aug 2015 10:27pm
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we have a 12x28, We normally have 4 stay at a time. we had consideration for 16x32 but after staying in a cabin for a week in Colorado that was the size we built we decided to save the money and down size. I think visiting some cabin rentals helps get the feel. I also agree about drawing to scale and placing furniture cut outs. It was a big help.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 2 Aug 2015 03:42pm
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I'm planning on a 14 X 20 with a 10 X 14 loft, and a small "mud room"/breakfast room/indoor "kitchen garden" space on the side. It will look like this, basically.
The priority will be the main cabin and if I can do the mud room at the same time, great! If not, then it will be an "add on" later with the initial build designed to accommodate that. Since the little section will have no electric or plumbing, the builders and I have talked about about the flexibility of having it mostly built off-site and brought in, assembled and attached to my cabin, almost like a lean-to. That is, of course, if cost overruns on the main cabin, septic, and everything else make the mudroom prohibitive for a little while.
But the door is planned for the side of the cabin where the mudroom is going, whenever it is built there.  I also have French doors planned for the other side so I can add a deck, side porch, or something.
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Malamute
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# Posted: 2 Aug 2015 11:16pm - Edited by: Malamute
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I'm living in a 14x18 at the moment, and its not enough space to be really comfortable to me. My bathroom is separate, an 8x12 building with pantry, temporary reloading room and full bathroom with clawfoot tub and water heater. I have begun an addition that will double the main footprint, and add a 6x12 office/reading room on one end, and a 6x14 sun room on the opposite side. I think it will be actually comfortable at that point, and the facilities will be inside. I've been in this one about 10 years, and its too long for a place this small, at least for me.
I lived in a 16x22 cabin for 2 years, it was OK, but I wanted to bump a bedroom off one side. It had a bathroom inside, and was on a 4 foot crawls apce for storage, which helped tremendously. If I were to do another cabin, it would probably be an 18x24 or 20x30, and maybe a bedroom off to the side. If money were no real issue, it would be on a full basement also, at the very least, on a full 4 foot crawl space.
I never was a fan of lofts, and as I age some, am glad I dont have to deal with a ladder or steep stairs to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and the dog isnt an issue to keep me warm in the winter. If I do a basement, it will be with a low rise stair set, and possibly a spot that an elevator can be installed alter if need be. My dad is 81 and dealing with having to go down stairs to his basement to do laundry, and the stairs are becoming a real issue.
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deryk
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# Posted: 3 Aug 2015 06:12am
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Yeah that is my issue with the tiny homes...the loft. I am 47 so the ladder thing/steep stairs isn't a big deal to me right now (cept if I was drunk lol) But this is my plan for retirement so I am leaning towards a place to sleep downstairs.
Being just for one person (maybe 2 who knows what will happen)
Loft is fine for storage for occasional access but seen some nice ideas for a 14x28 1 level cabins.
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moregon
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# Posted: 3 Aug 2015 09:28am
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I love the little reading nook/daybed space.
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deryk
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# Posted: 3 Aug 2015 07:59pm
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In Scandinavia from what I hear building bed nook's like this is not uncommon. I figure living alone do I really need a separate room to sleep in/get changed in? I could add a drawclosed curtain for when I have company...lots of shelves with books and I am good to go lol
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 5 Aug 2015 03:33am
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That's adorable!
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Malamute
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# Posted: 5 Aug 2015 02:08pm
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Quoting: deryk In Scandinavia from what I hear building bed nook's like this is not uncommon. I figure living alone do I really need a separate room to sleep in/get changed in? I could add a drawclosed curtain for when I have company...lots of shelves with books and I am good to go lol
I agree, in a small cabin there isnt much good reason to block off small rooms, especially if living alone. Curtains work well when needed. Some houses in the past just had curtains for interior doors also.
I like the bed nook thing. In the middle Hobbit movie they did a set for Beorns house. It was pretty awesome all around, but the bed nook right off the dining/fireplace/socializing area was pretty cool. It showed in several pictures and videos about the house set. It shows fairly well during the construction video of the st here, at minute 1:43. Once I knew where it was, I saw it in other vids also. It had curtains also.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytpfpHbDULQ
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Jebediah
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2015 07:47am - Edited by: Jebediah
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Just move the items you want in your cabin into your living room at home, that should put things into perspective...joking of course. There are many internet sites out there were you can design your place like the pros do. I can't think of any off hand right now, but google is your best friend. Or visit some of those places that have cabins on their lots for a walk through. Wood stove placement is always an issue, along with the bathroom. I don't care for lofts, temperature is always an issue, summer or winter when trying to sleep. Small lofts for storage, it seems the one item you need is always at the back.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2015 08:33am
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I built my southern camp 20' x 30'..i wish I would have built it 24' x 36' .....I have a 14' x 20' upstairs loft with knee walls and the kitchen/den area section has 19 foot ceiling which makes it feel bigger.It's a lot cheaper to make it bigger when you build it.
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Don_P
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2015 10:30am
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One other consideration I haven't seen mentioned. A lower, wider building is more stable than a taller, narrower building. It also presents a lower wind profile and a shorter lever arm against the foundation. However, if you are going to add on it is sure easier to intersect a taller wall or steeper roof, generally to intersect a lower roof you have to rotate the addition roof and come in with a gable.
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Donkeydave
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# Posted: 8 Jan 2016 11:32am
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The cabin we're planning will be 16 by 24. It's just the two of us so it will be one room with a seven by five bathroom.The queen size bed will be in a 16 by 8 area at one end, separated by the rest of the room by an open railing. Above the railing I expect there will be a wire from which a curtain will hang. In case of guests we have an RV which we'll live in while we're building the cabin. The RV will be a guest house later on. It has all of it's own utilities.
I'm already seventy four so we're not too interested in a loft. I also want a five foot shower stall so an old man will have a stool to sit on when he isn't up to standing in the shower.
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offgridjunkie
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# Posted: 8 Jan 2016 02:03pm - Edited by: offgridjunkie
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We have a 14x14 cabin and for my wife and I it is perferct. Small yes, but it is easy to maintain, heat, and clean. It is just our weekend get away, but works well. We have running water, flush toilet, full kitchen and a sleeping loft. It is all a matter of how much space you can get by with. We had a camper van before we bought our place, so anything is bigger than what we had.
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Donkeydave
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# Posted: 8 Jan 2016 05:56pm
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That's a beautiful little place. What state is it in? It looks like the Southwest.
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offgridjunkie
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# Posted: 8 Jan 2016 06:00pm
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We are in North Eastern California. We are in Reno NV, and it is only 50 miles door to door. We have about 300 acres, full time creek, and 3 sides of the property back up to Forest service land.
It is just a bitch to do anything with it as it is in California, so we are leaving it fully off grid, and just enjoy it.
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Donkeydave
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# Posted: 8 Jan 2016 07:52pm - Edited by: Donkeydave
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The Ponderosa?
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